Catholic Meditations

O Lord,
In a world that rushes by us, so changeable,
filled with some moments of happiness
that we would cling to forever,
but which slip past our fingers,
filled with horror, sadness
grief,
dark moments,
These too pass in that ever-flowing stream of time.
Our mighty works crumble.
The words we've spoken echo away.
Nothing permanent,
nothing certain
except that we were born,
we will live,
we will die.

And yet, when we look back
and see all is darkness,
a light comes shining like a beacon
to pierce the darkness
and meaninglessness of all our griefs, and tears, and pain,
a fire sparked by a love we do not deserve,
a light kindled with hope we do not merit,
a beacon fueled by a perfect sacrifice.

O Light,
who emptied yourself out to dwell among us,
O Word
who came to teach us the things that matter,
O Son
who came giving the message of hope to a sin-weary world,
O Christ
lifted high between Heaven and earth,
You are the beacon that pierces the meaninglessness of the night,
the shelter against the winds of change,
the entryway to that permanence
that can only come from one
not bound by time or space or the limits of this universe,
and in your hands only
can I find the rest that really matters.


O God the Father
who loves us,
O God the Son
who gave all for us,
O God the Spirit
breathing life into us,
in gratitude I say
Alleluia!

Susan E. Stone, 2006

Labels: Holy Trinity, Jesus' Love, Praise and Thanksgiving

Prayer to the Holy Family:

O Jesus Christ, son of God and son of Mary,
who gave all that we might have life, have mercy on us!
O Mary, conceived without sin,
Mother whose gentle yes has shown us the way to respond to the Father's call,
who shared the sufferings of your son,
and felt the sword pierce your heart,
pray for us now and at the hour of our deaths, Amen!
St. Joseph, guardian of the family and guardian of the church,
foster father of our Lord, and willing parent to all those in need,
gentle friend and companion in our troubles,
pray for us, now and at the hour of our deaths, Amen!

Holy Family, be our example of the love that reigns in a family's hearts.
Holy Family, preserve our families in an era that tries to rip them apart.
Holy Family, watch over us all,
and may we who love the Lord come in the end to the joys of Heaven.

Amen.

Susan E. Stone, 2006

For God so loved the world,
the Son emptied himself and became man.
For God so loved the world.
he became poor and humble.
For God so loved the world,
he preached and healed and loved and prayed
even as people misunderstood him and often turned away.
For God so loved the world,
he let himself suffer agony in the garden,
knowing full well the sinfulness of man.
For God so loved the world,
he let himself be betrayed and denied and deserted
by those closest to him.
For God so loved the world,
he allowed himself to be abused and mocked
by those who should have given justice.
For God so loved the world,
he allowed himself to be scourged dreadfully,
for our sakes.
For God so loved the world,
he accepted the crown of thorns.
For God so loved the world,
he bore his cross willingly.
For God so loved the world,
he was nailed to the cross as a sacrifice for our sins.
For God so loved the world
he suffered and died in agony that we might live.
For God so loved the world
He arose on the third day, breaking the chains of death,
for our salvation.

Alleluia!

Susan E. Stone, 2006

Labels: Jesus' Love, Passion of Christ

To St. Joseph

Saint Joseph,
gentle protector of our Lady,
guardian and teacher of Jesus in his youth,
patron of fathers everywhere,
guardian of families,
helper of all those who work,
thank you for being who you are,
gentle,
kind,
understanding,
and oh so patient.

Saint Joseph,
how often we take you for granted,
and you sit there, in the shadows,
doing the work
that God has asked you to do,
with the skilled hands of a patient craftsman.

On this day,
I wish to honor you for who you are,
and what you have done,
and let me say thank you
for being willing to answer the call of God,
for loving and caring for our Lady,
for loving and caring for our Lord,
for loving and caring for us, your foster children.

Amen.

O Saint Joseph,
Patron of the family,
protector of women and children,
guardian of the church,
how often I turn to you in times of need,
You, who God chose to be the foster father of our Lord,
You, of the kind and merciful heart,
who, when learning the news about our Lady being with child,
and not knowing the Father,
would not make her a spectacle, either,
You, of the faithful heart,
who stood beside her all the way to Bethlehem,
and guarded Jesus and Mary
on the road to Egypt,
who searched diligently for him
when the child Jesus stayed behind at the temple,
who raised our Lord as a good father,
caring for him, teaching him,
guiding him in the ways of being a man,
O Saint Joseph,
I love you for the example you set,
for the way you are so willing to help,
for your willingness to follow God's requests,
for having been there with our Lord when he was a child.

Saint Joseph,
in this my time of need,
pray for me.
Be thou my foster father as well,
and guide me always in the paths of righteousness
that lead me to your foster son, Jesus.

Saint Joseph, pray for me
Now, and at the hour of my death, Amen.